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Thursday, 16 March 2017

Seeking Animal Wisdom

Seeking Animal Wisdom

So you have
a new friend and you have the basics but what happens next? I suggest it is time to really get to know
your new ally: So, get yourself a blank
sheet of paper and pen or a new document up on the computer screen ready…

Let me use
my wild boar as an example, you would obviously use the animal that came to
you. I have only covered question to
show you how it works, but use the checklist below for your spirit animal guide
and answer each one, it really will give you a detailed overview of the animal
and why it is with you.

First I look at its habit and how it lives:
Woodland, marshland and agricultural land. Generally sedentary animals they
like to stay within their home range, they don’t migrate. Females spend more time in dense, safe habits
than the males do. They breed
seasonally and during that time the usually solitary males move into female
groups and fight rival males for dominance.
They prefer to live in small social groups and have a matriarchal group
with usually two or three mature females including their most recent
litters. Different female groups will
co-exist in the same areas but they keep their social identity. They are primarily nocturnal although they
may venture out during the day for food.
Mostly the days are spent sleeping up to twelve hours a day followed by
a short period of grooming on awakening then four to eight hours of feeding
during the night. Wild boar have very
poor eyesight.

So, what can I learn from wild boar?

They like to feel safe and love the comfort
of their own home. The females like to
keep in girly groups and spend a lot of their time looking after the
babies. They love their sleep and they
like to eat…

Those are characteristics. How do they apply
to me?

Sounds just like me – 12 hours of sleep and
8 hours of eating – perfect…

To me this echoes the safety and comfort
that I feel when I am at home, it is my sanctuary but it is also a reminder
that it is good to get out with friends every so often and have a girly
chat. Sleep is important and this also reiterates
the need to get a proper balance between work and rest. It is also about motherhood and taking care
of family.

Your Totem Animal check list:

Where does
the animal live and how does it interact with the habitat?

How might
this animal’s habitat affect its spiritual energy for animal magic?

What are the
animal’s natural aptitudes, demeanours, and characteristics and how might those
affect my magic for good or bad?

How does
this creature interact with other creatures?

Who is
predator and who is prey?

How might
this animal’s physical structure and natural behaviours influence its symbolic
value in spell craft and other magical processes?

What element
does it correspond to? Consider the combination of elements too. What does this
teach you about the creature?

Where does
it live?

What is it's
"cycle of power"?

What does it look like?

What does
the shape, colour, etc, of your animal suggest?

How does it
defend itself?

What does it
eat and how does it hunt for food?

What are its
mating habits and how does it raise its young? What sounds does it make?